Today is the feast day of St. Maria Goretti, a young Italian girl who was murdered in 1902 by a would-be rapist as she fought him off and defended her purity and chastity.
In our modern world, even many devout Christians discount the seriousness of sexual sins and ignore the Biblical warning, “Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind [i.e., homosexuals], nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).” But Maria Goretti knew that purity was so important, she was willing to die for it.
There’s also a huge crisis of sexual predation and sexual crimes in our day. There’s the Islamicrapegangsof Europe and the horrendousraperate in the U.S. border crisis. There’s LGBTQ insanity taking over governments and institutions and the U.S. becoming one of the main consumers of child sex. The once Christian West is sick with evil.
We need the intercession of St. Maria Goretti desperately, to help heal our perverted culture and return people to the virtues of modesty, chastity, and purity.
“[Catholicsaints.info] Beautiful, pious farm girl, one of six children of Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. In 1896 the family moved to Ferriere di Conca. Soon after, Maria's father died of malaria, and the family was forced to move onto the Serenelli farm to survive.
In 1902 at age twelve, Maria was attacked by 19-year-old farm-hand Alessandro Serenelli. He tried to rape the girl who fought, yelled that it was a sin, and that he would go to hell. He tried to choke her into submission, then stabbed her fourteen times. She survived in hospital for two days, forgave her attacker, asked God's forgiveness of him, and died holding a crucifix and medal of Our Lady. Counted as a martyr.
While in prison for his crime, Allessandro had a vision of Maria. He saw a garden where a young girl, dressed in white, gathered lilies. She smiled, came near him, and encouraged him to accept an armful of the lilies. As he took them, each lily transformed into a still white flame. Maria then disappeared. This vision of Maria led to Alessandro's conversion, and he later testified at her cause for beatification.”
St. Maria Goretti, pray for us!
(This article was originally published last year.)
Pro Deo et Libertate is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Saints of Innocent purity, Saint Maria Goretti and Fatima’s St Francisco. Love them both.
When journalists asked St Fransisco what he wanted to be when he grew up he replied, “Nothing. I just want to be with God.”
Such wisdom, …simple, direct and eternal Truth.
May God Bless and Protect the Body of Christ. And have mercy on the Souls most in need of it. 🙏🙏🙏🙏